Today saw the team remove a mud hole from a short section of track between Mucleford Creek Bridge and Donkey Farm Track.

The track after we’d dug out the mud and clay from around the sleepers using the excavator and scarifier.
Quite a bit of drain clean was also undertaken along side to prevent future issues with water logging.

Another small section ready for new ballast

Having run some new ballast in with the excavator we’ve jacked up one leg ready for tamping.

The waste material from the job will be relocated to one of our many embankments in need of some widening.

With the new pit edging timbers on hand, today saw the start of work to remove the old timbers and prepare the site for the new.

The Pits, already excavated some 10 years ago had become quite overgrown and the area around quite uneven.

Partway through the work, removing the old timbers and scraping off the built up ground.

While removing the rails still in place over one of this pits we found these small ramps fitted to the very end of the rail. Presumably a safeguard against wheels finding their way off the end of the rail and into the back of the shed.

A view from the excavator of the scraping works.

A view of the site. A good day’s work, with not only the area scraped and old timbers gone but the pits have also been dug cleaned out by hand, to remove the small amount of dirt and vegetation which had made its way in during the past 10 years. The old timber securing nuts & bolts are still in place and in surprisingly good condition, all have been wire brushed and coated in penetrene to hopefully aid in their removal and possible reuse.

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VGR Civil Team

The Victorian Goldfields Railway’s Civil team maintain the railway’s permanent way and associated infrastructure.

We’re a team of volunteers of around 20 people and one full time Ganger.

A team of us head out every Thursday and Friday, working on anything from re-sleepering to re-railing to operating works trains to repairing trestle bridges!

If you’d like to try your hand at trackwork and and would like to help in maintaining a working railway we would love to have you out on the team – we’re always looking for more help and there is always something, any day of the week – no previous experience or skills required!

Please contact us at: The Contact Page if would like to become involved.